1) Who is Lily Burkhead? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc) Hi! I’m 21 years old. I was born and raised in florida, currently living in Tampa! Im a full time student at USF in the exercise science program. I used to ride horses competitively and I still have my horse now and ride for fun, I work with my families construction company, and I’m also training to go to the CrossFit games and ultimately want to be the fittest woman on earth.
Prior to CrossFit, I was a powerlifter/strongman competitor and ended up claiming a lot of State/National/World records along with Worlds strongest teen in 2016.
Behind all the fitness stuff I’m a person who loves to make others happy and do my best, I can be really hard on myself and tend to overthink a lot lol. I also love long walks and donuts!
2) How many years have you been training? (Including how you got started, etc)
I’ve been training since I was 15… started in powerlifting, then strongman, and when Covid hit that’s when I decided to pickup CrossFit, which I’ve been doing just over a year now!
I was bullied a lot when I was younger so I started “working out” around 13 and just did your typically gym bro stuff. Around 15 years old, my dad had found my former powerlifting coach for me to help with horse back riding but I ended up being really strong and she asked if I wanted to try the sport out, and I said yes! The rest is history.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
The hardest and most difficult thing I’ve had to overcome was my eating disorder. From about 15-19 I tracked my food religiously, restricted a lot and became so obsessed with the number on the scale (both food and regulator scale) that I forgot about my goals. I lost my love I once had for being strong and lifting heavy. I felt weak and defeated. Nothing made me happy. I did hours of cardio in the morning before school. Literally, I’d wake up at 4am jump rope for an hour and occasionally did sprints afterwards. I counted every single little calorie, and would have a melt down if I went over a certain number. Eventually it led to binge eating followed by more hours of cardio afterwards. I thought I’d never find a way out. It wasn’t until I went to school in Denver for my first year of college, I stopped powerlifting and just worked out. When Covid hit. I got kicked out of my dorm, moved in with my boyfriend of 1 week (yes 1 week) and his family (they were amazing to me). Yes me and my boyfriend are still together lol, but we got a home gym setup in the garage and for some reason I just decided to switch to CrossFit. I ended up moving back home (with the boyfriend) and found Westchase. Since then I’ve found my nutrition coach, and personal coach as well as a few others who are now on my team helping me to be the best athlete I could be and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I’d be lying if I said I was 100% better. I still have bad and good days. I struggle, just like we all do. My current battle is more mental. Remembering that I’m on my own journey, not someone else’s. Comparison is the thief of joy, and that’s one of the realest things I’ve ever read.
It’s hard to not compare myself to the top dogs because I want to be there SO BADLY. But I have to remember I’ve only been at CrossFit for a year and I’ve got a lot of room to grow.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like? (With any particular protocols you rate).
I typically train 5-6 times a week 2x a day or some days I have to do one longer session. Depends with school and work. Sometimes I only have an hour in the morning and have to finish sessions after classes. Or I only have evenings to train. Personally I’m an early person, I love starting my workout around 5-6am lol. I take Thursday’s as an active recovery and Sunday’s off.
Currently I’m eating anywhere from 3000-3600 calories depending on the day.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition? (And How has it changed your focus for the future)
Patients is key.
Progress takes time.
Progress > perfection.
Not everyone will like you and that’s okay.
You will make mistakes and that’s okay.
It’s okay to not be perfect.
Love yourself in every stage.
Laugh often, love hard, smile always.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
I prefer to call them fun foods lol, but honestly either gourmet donuts or birthday cake ice cream!
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
@10performance RX recover and @unbardcoffee !!
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with both your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
I don’t live with regrets but if I could go back I would have not started tracking my food so young.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
In all honesty, there’s a lot of athletes I love, admire, and appreciate who they are, what they do, and what they stand for. (Ex. Training partners, coaches, parents, etc.)
But… The person I look up to the most is myself. Because at the end of the day, it’s you whose looking back at you in the mirror.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
Some days you’ll struggle, some days you’ll feel on top of the world. Just keep going. 1% everyday will eventually add up to 100%.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
I want to be the most dominant athlete ever.
I will never stop learning, and growing. And I will choose to be humble and kind no matter what.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
I’m mainly on Instagram @lilyburkhead_ and I have TikTok if you wanna see me embarrass myself @lilyburkhead
